I-beam

ABSTRACT

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a timber formwork I-beam which incorporates a bolt receiving channel. The I-beam is formed from an elongated generally planar web member of laminated wood having opposite side edges. A first elongated rectangular wooden flange is rigidly attached to one of the side edges and a second elongated rectangular wooden flange is rigidly attached to the opposite side edge, the first and second flanges extending substantially along the entire length of the web portion. The second elongated flange has opposite first and second sides, the web being rigidly attached to the first side. An elongated metal conduit is contained within the second flange between the first and second sides, the conduit extending along the length of the flange. The conduit defines an elongated passage extending along the conduit. The second flange has an elongated slot opening on the second side, said slot communicating with the passage of the conduit. The slot and passage each has an internal diameter, the internal diameter of the slot being less than the internal diameter of the passage.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to I-beams for constructing concrete forms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I-beams are often used in the construction industry. These I-beams are often made of either wood, steel or aluminum. Wooden I-beams made of laminated wood have been quite popular for the construction of concrete forms. In recent years however, wooden I-beams have been superceded by aluminum I-beams for use in concrete form construction. These I-beams generally consist of a flat planar web portion mounted between two perpendicular flange portions. One of the flange portions may incorporate a nailing strip made of plastic while the other flange may incorporate a channel for receiving one or more mounting bolts. The bolt receiving channel is a useful feature as it permits the quick assembly of scaffolding and the like to the I-beam. The bolt receiving channel also facilitates the easy disassembly and reuse of the I-beams. While these aluminum I-beams are effective, they suffer from two significant drawbacks. Firstly, these I-beams have only a single nailing strip, making the I-beam less versatile since nails cannot be driven into any other portions of the I-beam. Also, the cost of these I-beams is often prohibitive. A more cost effective I-beam is desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a timber formwork I-beam which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art. The present invention is formed from an elongated generally planar web member of laminated wood having opposite side edges. A first elongated rectangular wooden flange is rigidly attached to one of the side edges and a second elongated rectangular wooden flange is rigidly attached to the opposite side edge, the first and second flanges extending substantially along the entire length of the web portion. The second elongated flange has opposite first and second sides, the web being rigidly attached to the first side. An elongated metal conduit is contained within the second flange between the first and second sides, the conduit extending along the length of the flange. The conduit defines an elongated passage extending along the conduit. The second flange has an elongated slot opening on the second side, said slot communicating with the passage of the conduit. The slot and passage each has an internal diameter, the internal diameter of the slot being less than the internal diameter of the passage.

With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. is a perspective view of an I-beam made in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2. is a cross sectional view of an I-beam made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3. is a cross sectional view of a prior art I-beam.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring firstly to FIG. 3, a prior art I-beam for use in constructing concrete forms is shown generally as item 100. The I-beam consists of an aluminum extrusion having web portion 102, top flange 104 and bottom flange portion 106. Top flange 104 has elongated plastic block 108 which acts as a nailing strip. Bottom flange portion 106 has bottom surface 112 and top surface 114. Hub portion 111 is formed in web 102 adjacent flange 106. Hub 111 is essential a rectangular housing containing a passage 110. Housing 111 projects above flange 106. Passage 110 is configured to receive a mounting bolt (not shown) to permit scaffolding and the like to be quickly mounted to the I-beam. Fasteners such as nails and screws can only be attached to plastic block 108, since the rest of the I-beam is made of aluminum.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an I-beam made in accordance with the present invention, shown generally as item 10, consists of an elongated flat web 12 and rectangular wooden flanges 14 and 16. Web 12 is made of laminated wood such as plywood and has side edges 28 and 30. First flange 14 is preferably a flat rectangular piece of wood (either solid wood or laminate) which is rigidly attached to edge 28 of web 12 by adhesive or by means known generally in the art. Likewise, second flange 16 is preferably a rectangular piece of wood (either solid wood or laminate) which is rigidly attached to edge 30 of web 12 by means known generally in the art. Second flange 16 has opposite surfaces 22 and 24. Slot opening 26 is milled into flange 16 and extends between ends 18 and 20 of I-beam 10.

Referring now to FIG. 2, flange 24 has a conduit 32 extending the length of the flange. Conduit 32 is entirely contained within flange 16 and is positioned between surfaces 22 and 24. Conduit 32 is formed of a strong metal such as steel, but is preferably made from an aluminum extrusion. Conduit 32 is bonded to flange 16 by means of an adhesive. Several suitable adhesives specifically designed to bond wood to metal are currently available in the marketplace. Conduit 32 has back wall 34, side walls 32 and 36 and front walls 40 and 42. Walls 34, 32, 36, 40 and 42 define a passage 40 which communicates with slot opening 26. Slot opening 26 also separate front walls 40 and 42. Back wall 34 extends beyond side walls 32 and 36 to form wings 52 and 50, respectively. Wings 52 and 50 extend into flange 16 at least 5 millimeters. Wings 52 and 50 are positioned within flange 16 such that the wings are positioned between surfaces 22 and 24. Preferably, wings 52 and 50 are 13 millimeters from surface 22 and 22 millimeters from surface 24. Wings 52 and 50 are an important feature as they help prevent conduit 32 from twisting relative to flange 16 when force is applied to the conduit. By extending past side walls 32 and 36, wings 50 and 52 help to anchor conduit 32 within flange 16. Front walls 40 and 42 are positioned within flange 16 and at least 7 millimeters from surface 24 of flange 16. Likewise, back wall 34 is positioned at least 13 millimeters from surface 22 of flange 16.

Conduit 32 is configured such that passage 40 is dimensioned and configured to receive and retain bolt 45. Side walls 38 and 36 have notches 46 and 44, respectively, positioned adjacent walls 42 and 44, respectively. Notches 46 and 44 widen passage 40 adjacent slot opening 26 such that the passage can accommodate flange 47 of bolt 45.

To construct I-beam 10, a wooded I-beam is first constructed by bonding flanges 16 and 16 to web portion 12. An opening having a slightly larger cross-sectional profile than conduit 32 is then milled into flange 16. After the opening is milled, the outside surface of the conduit is coated with an adhesive layer and then inserted into the opening. The beam is then left until the adhesive cures.

The present invention has many advantages over the prior art. Firstly, since flanges 14 and 16 and web 12 is made of wood, virtually any portion of the I-beam can be nailed or screwed making the I-beam more versatile. Furthermore, the positioning of conduit 32 within flange 16 together with wing portions 50 and 52 make the conduit particularly secure within flange 16. Wings 50 and 52 increase the surface area of contact between conduit 32 and flange 16 thereby permitting a stronger bond between the conduit and the flange. Also, wings 50 and 52, by projecting into flange 16 beyond walls 36 and 34 actually anchor the conduit within the flange, making the conduit more resistant to twisting and warping. Also, conduit 32 is completely surrounded and supported by flange 16, making it less likely that the conduit will warp or fail. The net result is that conduit 32 of I-beam 10 is actually stronger than housing 111 of I-beam 100 (see FIG. 3). Finally, another advantage of the present invention is that it can be used in conjunction with existing aluminum beam constructions. This is a significant advantage over traditional wooden I-beams. Traditional wooden I-beams cannot be bolted to aluminum beam constructions, while I-beams made in accordance with the present invention, having conduit 32, are compatible with aluminum beam constructions.

A specific embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed; however, several variations of the disclosed embodiment could be envisioned as within the scope of this invention. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A timber formwork I-beam comprising: a. an elongated generally planar web member of laminated wood having opposite side edges, b. a first elongated rectangular wooden flange rigidly attached to one of the side edges and a second elongated rectangular wooden flange rigidly attached to the opposite side edge, the first and second flanges extending substantially along the entire length of the web portion, c. the second elongated flange having opposite first and second sides, the web being rigidly attached to the first side, d. an elongated metal conduit contained within the second flange between the first and second sides, the conduit extending along the length of the flange, the conduit defining an elongated passage extending along the conduit, the flange having an elongated slot opening on the second side, said slot communicating with the passage of the conduit, the slot and passage each having an internal diameter, the internal diameter of the slot being less than the internal diameter of the passage.
 2. The timber formwork I-beam of claim 1 wherein the conduit has opposite parallel side walls perpendicularly attached to a back wall and a pair of parallel front walls, each front wall extending from a side wall, the front walls being separated by the slot opening.
 3. The timber formwork I-beam of claim 2 wherein the back wall of the conduit has opposite side edges and wherein the side walls extend from the back wall adjacent to and perpendicularly from each of the side walls.
 4. The timber formwork I-beam of claim 3 wherein each side wall has a notch extending the entire length of the side wall, the notch of each side wall being located adjacent the front wall. 